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Colonist, Volume III, Issue 297, 24 August 1860, Page 3

Mails for Australia and New Zealand.—• The mails for the Australian colonies and New Zealand, intended to be forwarded via Southampton, will in future be made up in London on the morning of the 20th of each month, instead of on the 12th, and the mails to be forwarded via Marseilles will be made up on the evening of the 26th, instead of on the 18th of the month. On those occasions when the 20th of the month falls on Sunday the mails for Australia, &c, will be made up on the previous evening, and when the 26th of the month falls on Sunday, the mails will be made up on the following evening. In consequence of this alteration mails for Ceylon will no longer be despatched on the 12th and 18th; of the month. The Australian mail packets will in future proceed no further than Melbourne, and after leaving Point de Galle will touch, to land and embark mails, at King George's Sound only. The mails for South Australia, New South Wales, and Ne*v Zealand, will be landed at Melbourne, and will beionvarded thence to their destination by such means as may be provided by the colonial governments. Commencing with the month of July tbg homeward mails will thenceforward be despatcfi&t from Melbourne on the 26th of each month, and ought ta arrive in London with the mails from Calcutta anci China, due (via Maiseilles) on the 12th, and (vfe Southampton) on the 18th of every month. By oommand of the Postmaster-General.-^Rowland Hill, Secretary. General Post-office, June 6.

We have authority for stating that the Directors of the Indian and Australian Telegraph Company are about to wind up the undertaking, A statement of accounts, which will it is said be satisfactory to the shareholders, will shortly be submitted", preparatory to a division of the assets. The funeral of Sir Charles Barry took place in Westminster Abbey on the afternoon of May 22. The Dean of Westminster officiated on the occasion, and several members of Parliament and distinguished men of science attended in the capacity of pall-bearers and mourners.

I. R. M. S. C—At a meeting of the Intercolonial Royal Mail Steam Company, Rear-Admiral Lord George Paulet, C- 8., in the chair, the report was adopted and a dividend declared fox'the five months ending in December at the rate of 7|- per cent, pcs annum free of income tax. A new screw steamey has been purchased and will shortly be seat out to. Australia, the Company being thug, enabled to, take up the extra service for New Zealand in October next. The advices from the colony report - a rapid improvement in the yeceipts of the vessels during the past three months, the ratio of increase, compared with the whole of 1859 being not less than 50 percent. At the same time very little additional expenditure is involved. The net earnings for the fourteen months from the commence" ment of the Company's service down to the end of last year have been £9345, and after deducting fov depreciation, dividends, &c, a balance of about i>7oo remains to be carried forward, An extraordinary meeting of the Australian Royal Mail Steam Company 18 called for the 29tli June to pass a resolution for the immediate dissalution of the Company, On the 20th of May Captain Leopold M'Clintock, R.N., was presented at Guildhall with the freedom of the city. In the evening he and the officers of the Arctic steam-yacht Fox were entertained by the Lord Mayor at the Mansion House. The general company invited to the banquet included many distinguished names. Lady Franklin was unavoidably absent; but among the guests were a niece of Sir John Franklin, who from the outset interested herself mo3t warmly in the search, and a daughter of the American merchant who fitted out the expedition which started with a kindred object from the shores of the New.World. The speeches contained nothing particularly remarkable. We may, however, here quote some remarks made in the course of the evening by Sir R. Murchison:—" The Royal Geographical Society had voted one of its gold medals to the officer who so successfully overcame the obstacles of tho icy North, and revealed the fate of Franklin ; and tlie other would be given to that noble-minded woman, Lady Franklin, whose purpose had never faltered throughout twelve long years of painful anxiety, when all but a few constant hearts—of which his was one—had given up the matter ia despair. The single aim which Lady Franklin had now in view was that her husband's memory should receive,duo honor. Nothing could have been more gratifying than the manner in which his name was introduced in the House of Commons; but the great object was to secure some national recognition that to him the first discovery of the Northwest Passage was due. If this were accomplished by means of a statue, there would be a peculiar fi tnessin placing it near the foot of "Lord Nelson's column, in two of whose most glorious victories, Sir John Franklin had taken part.